We arrived in Lima from Nasca.

It was Easter Sunday in South America, but Anzac Day already back home, (which is usually our annual big boozy day out at Twin Towns) I tried Skyping Kara & Nat but as they were uncontactable I left voicemails instead ... I got onto Kara later in the arvo and was great to hear her voice and gossip with her, as we hadn't spoken over the phone to ant girlfriends since before I left in January!

Met with the group for an orientation tour of the city. It culminated near the main cathedral so a few of us went in to see the Easter Sunday mass ... Thats now 2 churches this Easter weekend!

We were starving so on the way back to the hotel decided to try the local KFC ... I wont bother again - the chips I was craving werent the usual and were like Maccas, and the popcorn chicken coating was more hot'n'spicy style rather than the original style we are used to and I'm really starting to miss the familiar tastes & flavours from home :-(

That night we went to view the spectacular light show in the park of 13 fountains. It used music, synchronized fountains, lasers and images projected on the water to create a fantastic 30 minutes of entertainment.

After that we had dinner at Miraflores and being there felt like we'd stepped back into the western world! It's located on the water, and the shopping and reataurant precinct had lots of familiar US franchises like Starbucks, Pizza Hut and TGI Fridays.

We just went to a cafe but enjoyed a nice dinner. I saved myself & had a delicious chocolate cake for desert to make up for not being home and gorging myself on Red Tulip Elegant Rabbit ... I miss you lovely tasty sweet bunny!!!!

Despite being tired and wanting to head home early for bed (I've had a head cold since Inca Trail!), I was dragged out by the group to a couple of bars ... It was 4 peoples last night before they headed home so didn't want to disappoint!!!

We were also joined by the new gal joining our group (we now have a doctor and dentist in board!) and a few from the Tucan Budget expedition... So although we met no locals, it was nice to have some fresh blood to chat to! Same people on tour for almost 2 months gets pretty boring!

I ended up staying until the first club shut & had someone to share a cab home with, as Lima is not safe for me to cab it alone!

Rang Nat when I got back and had a great chat with her too and made me miss my friends so much!!! Wish you guts were here xo

The next morning we went for brekky with others from the group who'd left later then me so were more hungover and had good gossipbstories :-D

After brekky they went back to bed and I went out to make the most of my one day in Lima ...

The people and the city looks more like Santiago and Buenos Aires, and the men here are more forward then those in Bolivia and the south of Peru, (and better looking!!!), so enjoyed compliments being called out to me and the good old South American 'machismo' again!

I even got chatted up by one boy who was heading the same was as me, and was also in Lima in vacation from northern Peru. He even asked me out for coffee but declined ...

After arriving at the Museo de Requisition and finding it closed, I bumped into a couple from our group and joined them to head to the English guided tour at the San Francisco Monastrey & Catacombs.

The Monastrey was interesting and as it was built in the 16th century by the Spanish it had amazing architecture and paintings. The catacombs underneath were incredible and held the remains of 70,000 plus people ... There were piles upon piles of bones, which as my companions pointed out were likely to be victims of the Spanish Inquisition, based on the time they were brought here.

I was getting my key at hotel reception when someone came and whacked me from behind ... It was Lawrence, my bus driver from the Kumuka trip in Patagonia! His tour is also heading for Quito so we made plans to catch up for a drink somewhere along the way :-)

I went for dinner with a few people to another monastery. The volunteers working there were lovely, and good food.

Home early, then up early for a 6.40am departure to the bus station and a 9 hour bus to Trujillo!